Nashik: Five Single Women Remarry At ZP’s Mass Wedding Ceremony, Get ₹31,000 Each

Nashik: Five single women began a new chapter in their lives at a mass wedding ceremony organised by Nashik Zilla Parishad (ZP) under the Navchetana Campaign, an initiative conceptualised by Chief Executive Officer Omkar Pawar to mark the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Phule.

The initiative aims to provide single women with dignity, confidence and an opportunity to rebuild their lives while challenging prevailing social prejudices surrounding remarriage.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conveyed his best wishes to the couples through a letter. School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal, MP Bhaskar Bhagare, MLAs Hiraman Khoskar, Kishor Darade and Saroj Ahire, Deputy Mayor Vilas Shinde, District Collector Ayush Prasad, social activist Heramb Kulkarni and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.

Zirwal emphasised the need to change society's attitude towards single women, while Bhuse praised the initiative for promoting equality, dignity and the progressive social values of Maharashtra. Prasad congratulated the Zilla Parishad administration and appreciated the efforts of Pawar and Kulkarni in conceptualising and implementing the programme.

Addressing the gathering, Pawar explained that the Navchetana Campaign seeks to provide single women with social and economic support, encourage self-reliance and facilitate their integration into the mainstream of society. He said various departments were working in coordination to bring positive changes to their lives.

Kulkarni highlighted the history of the remarriage movement in India and noted that the initiative had given fresh momentum to the cause through Nashik Zilla Parishad.

As part of the programme, savings certificates worth ₹1 lakh each were distributed for the children of the remarried women from rural areas. In addition, each newly married couple received a cheque for ₹31,000 to purchase essential household items and help establish their new homes. The financial assistance is intended to provide practical support as the couples embark on their new journeys together.

The five couples married under the Navchetana Campaign were Kalyani Sanjay Pagar and Yogesh Bapu Aher, from Bagdu in Kalwan taluka; Vijaya Himmat Deore and Shashikant Dadaji Deore, from Baglan taluka; Surekha Dhairyashil Boraste and Sudam Ramnath Lohkar, from Talegaon in Dindori taluka; Anuprita Hemant Borale and Mayur Dilip Joshi, from Nanegaon, Nashik; and Jyoti Eknath Bagul and Ram Vaman Kamble, from Pathardi, Nashik.

The ceremony represented more than a wedding celebration, highlighting the importance of social acceptance, financial security and equal opportunities for single women. Through the Navchetana Campaign, Nashik Zilla Parishad is seeking to go beyond the implementation of government welfare schemes and create an environment in which women can rebuild their lives with dignity, independence and renewed hope.